English

Critical reading, writing, thinking—these are the skills success in any field requires, and these are the skills you’ll develop as an English major.

Florida Southern College’s program gives you both a broad foundation in literary studies and concentrated study in an area of your choice. The result? You’ll graduate to a world of opportunities. Our majors excel in many fields-law, business, journalism, public relations, acting, education, marketing, professional writing, even professional golf!

Top Reasons to Choose FSC for English

Our graduates are accepted to top graduate programs.

You can be involved in Undead Poets’ Society and Cantilevers, FSC’s literary magazine.

Qualified freshmen can receive a $2,500 annual English Scholarship.

Our Visiting Writers Series features nationally known poets, scholars, and publishers.

Our service-learning courses include projects such as a non-fiction writing class taking oral histories from local subjects and presenting their findings publicly.

Engaged Learning in the Classroom

In your classes, you’ll actually engage the material you’re learning through innovative teaching approaches such as digital storytelling and workshops. But you’ll also have opportunities for professional oral presentations, field trips, and student-led discussions with visiting writers.

Course Information

In addition to an already impressive range of courses, we offer a range of special topics and interdisciplinary courses. Some of these include:

Ghosts, Goblins, and Other Supernatural Creatures in Literature

Comedy! The Joy of Laughter

The Fiction of Youth

Masterpieces of World Literature

Victorian Literature and Culture

Modern Literature: Ancient Stories in New Robes

The Literature of Florida

The English major also requires foreign language study, which can give you an edge in the job market.

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Departmental Clubs & Organizations

You can be involved in numerous organizations, such as Cantilevers (FSC’s literary magazine), Sigma Tau Delta (the international English honor society), the Mechanicals (the Humanities club), and the Undead Poets’ Society (a student organization for aspiring writers and lovers of literature).

Scholarships & Financial Aid

FSC’s English Department awards merit scholarships of up to $2,500 to qualified entering freshmen. These are based on SAT and ACT scores, GPA, and portfolio review of writing samples.

Internship Opportunities

You’ll have opportunities to gain real-world experience and cultivate your areas of interest in internships. Our majors have worked for organizations as diverse as Tennyson Research Center in Lincoln, England; the Student Conservation Association; and Forbes magazine.

Career Opportunities

English majors are prepared for a wide range of careers. Our graduates are environmental specialists for engineering firms, writers for art magazines, lawyers for the State Attorney’s Office, editors, teachers, even Peace Corps volunteers.

Our majors have been accepted to a wide variety of graduate schools:

Columbia College

Duke Divinity School

Emerson College

The Vermont College of Fine Arts

University of Southern Florida

West Virginia University School of Law

Special Features

Our English faculty are scholars and creative writers whose work has appeared in Iowa Review, Boston Review, Florida Historical Quarterly, and Florida Studies.

Whether you need basic reference resources or the most up-to-date software, Pens Central, our in-house writing center, gives you the tools to help you take your writing to the next level.

Our Honors Program provides highly motivated and talented students the opportunity to investigate an area of interest in consultation with a faculty mentor.

The Visiting Writers Series brings nationally known writers, poets, and scholars to FSC, including National Book Award finalists and writers for The Onion.

Program Requirements

The English program offers concentrations in Literature and Writing. Core requirements for both concentrations are the same.

English Major Requirements:

Literature Concentration

A. General Education Requirements

40 hours

B. Major Requirements

48 hours

Core requirements for the English major:

ENG 2130

Introduction to English Studies

ENG 2305

Masterpieces of World Literature

ENG 3309

American Literature I: Pre-1600 to 1865

ENG 3310

American Literature II: 1865-2000

ENG 3313

British Literature from the Medieval to the Neo-Classical

ENG 3314

British Literature from the Romantic Era to the Post Modern

ENG 4999

English Senior Seminar

Four literature courses:

ENG 3304

Major Authors

ENG 4303

Studies in Literary Periods

ENG 4304

Studies in Literary Genres

ENG 4305

Special Topics in Literature

One 3000 or 4000-level English course chosen from:

ENG 3200

Writing for Business

ENG 3217

Creative Nonfiction Writing

ENG 3219

Persuasive Writing

ENG 3235

Creative Writing: Poetry

ENG 3236

Creative Writing: Prose

ENG 3263

Rhetoric and Writing

ENG 3320

Special Topics in Drama and Film

ENG 3340

Myth and Legend

ENG 3370

Literature by Women

ENG 4209

Special Topics in Nonfiction

ENG 4303

Studies in Literary Periods

ENG 4304

Studies in Literary Genres

ENG 4305

Special Topics in Literature

C. Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements

20 hours

E. Electives

16 hours

E. Total

124 hours

Interested in Teaching English?

Students meeting the department's requirements for a major in English who also completes the professional courses required by the Education department will meet the certification requirements for teaching English in the State of Florida.

Minor in English

Twenty hours in English above the 1000 level, including at least one course at the 3000 level and at least one course at the 4000 level. CLEP credits may not be applied to the minor.

English Major Requirements:

WRITING Concentration

A. General Education Requirements

40 hours

B. Major Requirements

48 hours

Core requirements for the English major:

ENG 2130

Introduction to English Studies

ENG 2305

Masterpieces of World Literature

ENG 3309

American Literature I: Pre-1600 to 1865

ENG 3310

American Literature II: 1865-2000

ENG 3313

British Literature from the Medieval to the Neo-Classical

ENG 3314

British Literature from the Romantic Era to the Post Modern

ENG 4999

English Senior Seminar

Writing concentration requirements (5 courses total):

ENG 3263

Rhetoric and Writing

ENG 4209

Special Topics in Nonfiction

One additional 3000 or 4000-level ENG course, excluding internship

One of the following creative writing courses:

ENG 3217

Creative Nonfiction Writing

ENG 3235

Creative Writing: Poetry

ENG 3236

Creative Writing: Prose

One of the following multi-genre writing courses:

ENG 3200

Writing for Business

ENG 3219

Persuasive Writing

C. Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements

20 hours

E. Electives

16 hours

E. Total

124 hours

Course Descriptions

ENG 1000 INTRODUCTION TO COLLEGE ENGLISHFour hours. This course provides a concentrated study of the grammar and rhetoric of the English sentence. It is also designed to teach effective paragraph and short essay composition and to prepare students to deal more effectively with the larger elements of composition which are the focus of higher level writing courses.

ENG 1003 ENGAGING THE WRITTEN WORD: ANALYSIS, ARGUMENT, AND PERSUASIONFour hours. Application of standard English for college and professional writing. Emphasis on critical reading; analysis of persuasive and informative written arguments; and process of completing informative and persuasive papers. Gen Ed: EC-A

ENG 1005 WRITING ABOUT TOPICSFour hours. Instruction and practice in writing short personal, informative, and persuasive essays about a selected topic that is the focus for the semester. Specific topic at the discretion of the instructor. Course may be repeated for credit with a different topic. Gen Ed: EC-A

ENG 2130 INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH STUDIESFour hours. Prerequisite: Successful completion of coursework that satisfies Effective Communication SLOs A and B. Concentrated study of and application of theory, practice, and issues in English studies. Emphasis on interpretive and critical reading, scholarly modes and methods, research resources, source documentation, disciplinary technology, and oral presentation. Gen Ed: Ql, EC-C

ENG 2305 MASTERPIECES OF WORLD LITERATUREFour hours. Study of distinctive works, in English translation, by eminent writers from the ancient world to the present, primarily in the Western tradition. Gen Ed: SW (Glb, Aw), FA (In), Ql

ENG 3263 RHETORIC AND WRITINGFour hours. Prerequisite: Successful completion of coursework that satisfies Effective Communication SLOs A and B. The study of rhetorical theories and their application to specific genres of writing. Enhances the students’ awareness of the connection between rhetorical theories and actual spoken or written discourse. In so doing, it hones their skill in using the most effective approaches to communicating orally and in writing. Gen Ed: Ql, EC-C

ENG 3304 MAJOR AUTHORSFour hours. Prerequisite: Successful completion of coursework that satisfies Effective Communication SLOs A and B. The in-depth study of major authors—fiction or non-fiction—who have made a significant impact on the history of literature. Authors may include, but are not limited to, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Milton, Woolf, Faulkner, and Hemingway. The major author focus in a given semester may include two or three authors, such as Hawthorne and Melville or Anne, Charlotte, and Emily Bronte. This course may be taken more than once to allow for study of more than one author or grouping of authors. Gen Ed: FA (In), Ql, EC-C

ENG 3313 BRITISH LITERATURE FROM THE MEDIEVAL TO THE NEO-CLASSICAL Four hours. Prerequisite: Successful completion of coursework that satisfies Effective Communication SLOs A and B. Survey of major British authors and significant works from the beginning of literate culture (including, in some cases, oral texts stabilized after literacy) to the neo-classical Eighteenth Century. Gen Ed: SW (Glb, Aw, An), FA (In), Ql, EC-C

ENG 3314 BRITISH LITERATURE FROM THE ROMANTIC TO THE POST MODERNFour hours. Prerequisite: Successful completion of coursework that satisfies Effective Communication SLOs A and B. Survey of major British authors and significant works from approximately the end of the Eighteenth Century to the present day. Gen Ed: SW (Glb, Aw, An), FA (In), Ql, EC-C

ENG 3320 SPECIAL TOPICS IN DRAMA AND FILMFour hours. Prerequisite: Successful completion of coursework that satisfies Effective Communication SLOs A and B. This course will cover different genres, periods, countries or regions and styles or themes of the drama or film. Special attention will be paid to the drama or film in action. This course fulfills a portion of the literature concentration for English Majors or can act as an elective. Gen Ed: FA (In), EC-C

ENG 4209 SPECIAL TOPICS IN NONFICTIONFour hours. Prerequisite: Successful completion of coursework that satisfies Effective Communication SLOs A and B. This course will allow students to study a wide array of nonfiction styles and genres, as well as extend their knowledge of new media writing on the advanced level. Course topics may include, but are not limited to, biography writing, journal writing, technical writing, grant writing. Gen Ed: EC-C

ENG 4303 STUDIES IN LITERARY PERIODS: [VARIABLE SUBTITLE]Four hours. Prerequisite: Successful completion of coursework that satisfies Effective Communication SLOs A and B. In-depth study of one of the following focused literary periods: Medieval Literature, The Renaissance, The Eighteenth Century, The Romantic Period, The Victorian Period, or The Twentieth Century and Contemporary British Literature. Course may be repeated for credit with a different topic. Gen Ed: SW (Glb, Aw, An), FA (In), Ql, EC-C

ENG 4304 STUDIES IN LITERARY GENRES: [VARIABLE SUBTITLE] Four hours. Prerequisite: Successful completion of coursework that satisfies Effective Communication SLOs A and B. Advanced study of specific literary genre(s) such as the novel (both traditional and graphic), the epic, short story, nonfiction prose, poetry. Course may be repeated for credit with a different topic. Gen Ed: SW (Aw, An), FA (In), Ql, EC-C

ENG 4305 SPECIAL TOPICS IN LITERATUREFour hours. Prerequisite: Successful completion of coursework that satisfies Effective Communication SLOs A and B. This course focuses on a specialized study of one or more related aspects of British and/or American literature: authors, themes, genres, or the literature of specific cultural groups. Gen Ed: SW (Aw, An), FA (In), Ql, EC-C

ENG 4960/4961 INTERNSHIPFour hours. Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing and permission of the instructor. Application of communication – both written and oral – research, and analytical skills within a newspaper or magazine, law firm, government agency, publishing company, or other relevant organization. In addition to on-the-job tasks, written assignments and individual conferences shall be arranged with the faculty member who is overseeing the internship. Summer internships are encouraged.

ENG 4999 SENIOR SEMINARFour hours. Prerequisites: Senior standing in English and permission of the faculty. Required for majors, elective for Humanities majors and other interested students. English 4999 is an in-depth exploration of one or more literary topics with emphasis on written and oral presentation.